Windows 8: What We Know So Far

We've seen the developer preview, and we're about to get a beta of Microsoft's next major platform, Windows 8. Here's what we know about it.

Most people with any interest in technology have now seen or maybe even had hands-on experience with Microsoft's next big thing: Windows 8. And it's clear most that the hybrid mobile-desktop operating system represents a huge risk for the software giant. But many would argue that it's a risk the company must take in order to become a major force in the brave new world of tablet computing.

The most important thing to realize about Windows 8 is that it's effectively two operating systems in one: The touch-tablet friendly, tile-based Metro interface that runs lightweight Web-app like programs, and the traditional desktop operating system. You get to the second through the first, and, though the desktop is arguably more powerful, it's relegated by Microsoft to being just another app among your Metro home screen tiles. (If terms like Metro are unfamiliar, see my Windows 8 Glossary)

Whether users will acclimate to the mind-shift required by moving between the two paradigms is something that will partly determine the OS's ultimate success.

And what becomes of the more than 1.25 billion Windows desktop users who may not move to the tablet format? As you'll see in the course of this story, desktop users will certainly not be overlooked by Windows 8: Microsoft has committed to supporting any machine that runs Windows 7 with Windows 8. And not only will the newer OS offer improved features in the standard desktop view, but their systems will start up and run noticeably faster—one of the most compelling aspects of Window 8.

I first compiled this article before we'd even seen the Developer Preview of Windows 8, and boy have we learned a lot since then. Microsoft has been doling out generous amounts of information about its gestating next operating system, mostly via the Building Windows 8 blog. The team responsible for developing the OS, led by Microsoft's President Windows and Windows Live Division Steven Sinofsky, has given the world detailed glimpses into the workings of Windows 8, and offered the public unprecedented feedback opportunities to influence its development. In fact, the latest post on the blog at the time of this writing consists of dozens of user concerns the team has addressed in response to comments on the blog.

In the first post, Sinofsky made the bold assertion that Windows 8 will represent the biggest rethinking of the PC operating system since Windows 95. That's quite a statement, considering big-time releases like XP, Vista, and Windows 7 have intervened. Windows 95 was the first version to truly break the bonds of DOS, and Windows 8 also promises to move the PC in a drastically new direction. The team has rethought its every aspect, from the interface down to the file system and memory use.

Before we launch into what we know, I'd like to throw out there a few of the unknowns. (I won't, however, go in the whole Rumsfeld issue of known unknowns versus unknown unknowns.) Chief among these is how different Windows 8 will be on non-Intel tablets compared with traditional Windows desktop and laptop configurations. We have yet to see a very powerful Metro app such as those in the Microsoft Office suite. Will non-Intel tablets be able to run powerful desktop apps, or only Metro apps? Will the company ever offer a Metro-only or a Desktop-only version of the OS? Will it be a real threat to the iPad in the tablet space? How much will it cost? When will it go on sale?

We'll get more answers when the beta arrives later in February. Putting those questions aside for now, click on to find out what we do know so far.

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Automatic Renewal Program: Your subscription will continue without interruption for as long as you wish, unless
you instruct us otherwise. Your subscription will automatically renew at the end of the term unless you authorize
cancellation. Each year, you'll receive a notice and you authorize that your credit/debit card will be charged the
annual subscription rate(s). You may cancel at any time during your subscription and receive a full refund on all
unsent issues. If your credit/debit card or other billing method can not be charged, we will bill you directly instead. Contact Customer Service

Your PC will start up (and possibly run) noticeably faster

Your PC will start up (and possibly run) noticeably faster

Microsoft has done some deep under the covers work to get Windows 8 to boot significantly faster than its predecessors. By hibernating the kernel session and reloading it at startup, Microsoft engineers report 30 to 70 percent faster startups on most systems they tested. In my own testing, the same laptop started up 65 performance faster under Windows 8 than under Windows 7, and that was even on an older PC without the new UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) boot hardware that Windows 8 can take advantage of. One thing I noticed, however, was that shutdown time was no quicker with the new OS. Several benchmark test also showed faster performance with Window 8, but the fast startup has got to be one of the things about Windows 8 I'm most stoked about.